Kayaking Safety - The EssentialsWatch this short video to learn how youcan insure that your paddling experiencewill be relatively safe for all involved.Training Canoe Newbies Over the years, Cliff Jacobson has formed afew tests to get new canoeists ready to run whitewater rivers. Read all about them.

Imagine Long Pond during the days of LL Bean's NA Canoe Symposium on a misty morning before breakfast. There sits the fabled Gordon Black, head of instruction at NOC, then the ACA in an Advantage with a Zaveral bent, feeling pretty froggie, when up comes Harry Rock, standing tall in a MRC Kevlar Explorer, with a big stick as is his wont.

Things being what they are, or were, a challenge is issued and accepted; first past that little island to the North.

Someone says go. All poor Gordon sees is elbows, receding towards the island. How can this be? both boats are 16.5, but the Advantage significantly sleeker. The Zav has a sculptured blade while That aluminum pole is 1 3/8" and round, hardly the perfect blade shape.

The answer is power and cadence. Harry is torso rotating from the balls of his feet, Gordon from his sitz bones, and Harry has the increased cadence of the double blade. Harry running ~ 120 strokes per min while Gordon is ~80. No contest.